Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath of Highlands Ranch was called up to the U.S. U-23 Olympic qualifying team. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post file)

Four players with ties to Colorado will represent the United States when the Under-23 team tries later this month to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Two current Colorado Rapids, midfielder Dillon Serna and defender Eric Miller, were named to the squad, along with former Rapids’ homegrown defender Shane O’Neill. Serna and O’Neill came up through the Rapids Academy. O’Neill plays for Cambridge United.

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who went to high school in Highlands Ranch, was also named to the team. Horvath plays professionally in the Norwegian first division for Molde FK. He was developed by Real Colorado, the same program that produced U.S. women’s national team star Mallory Pugh.

The U.S. U-23s take on Colombia in a two-leg series, with the winning team advancing to the 2016 Olympics. The first match is Friday, March 25 at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia, at 3 p.m. MT. It will air on FS1.

The U.S will host Colombia on March 29 in the second leg at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas at 7:30 p.m MT. It will air on ESPN 2.Read more…

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will be one of the hosts for group stage matches for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Olympic Qualifying Championship, which are scheduled Oct. 1-13, the Colorado Rapids announced Thursday.

The stadium will play host for all eight qualified teams for match day 3 of group stage action on Oct. 6-7.

“This continues to illustrate that our stadium is a world-class soccer destination,” Rapids president Tim Hinchey said in a news release. “It is also a testament to the passionate fan base for our sport here in Colorado. We look forward to hosting these games later this year.”

The other U.S. cities to host the CONCACAF tournament are Kansas City, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

The 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship will feature eight national teams in two groups. The U.S. is in Group A. The top two finishers in each group after round-robin play will advance to semifinals. The two finalists qualify to the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil. The winner of the third-place match will play the Colombia in a playoff for a spot in the games.

Tournament draw, schedule and ticket information will be revealed at a later date.

Tim Howard, a three-time FIFA World Cup veteran, will not compete for the U.S. national team next year. (Felipe Dana, The Associated Press)

Tim Howard, the longtime goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s national team, plans to take the next year off from competing with the team but is not retiring, he announced on his Facebook page Thursday.

The 35-year-old will continue to compete for Everton of the English Premier League, but he will not be considered for selection to the U.S. roster until September of next year.

“As you may have heard, I have decided to take some time off from the U.S. Men’s National Team in order to spend more time with my family,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Having played overseas for the last 12 years, making this commitment to my family is very important. I am grateful for the understanding of (U.S. coach) Jurgen Klinsmann who is affording me the opportunity to spend some much needed time with my kids and to have the opportunity to compete for a spot upon my return. I understand that I will have to earn my place with the team and in the lineup when I come back, and I look forward to doing that. Physically I feel as strong as ever, and right now my heart, mind, and body all feel good about continuing on with the national team for the next World Cup. It is difficult to predict the situation in four years but I know this decision is right for me today.”

Now that the U.S. has been eliminated from the World Cup, those in the media who are mystified by the game can stop discussing American soccer and its fans the way cultural anthropologists study newly discovered tribes on some remote island thousands of miles from civilization. In another day or two they’ll stop asking how long it will take soccer to become a major sport in this country and turn their attention to NFL training camps.

Those of us who love soccer are disappointed the U.S. is finished in Brazil, but we’re excited about the remaining World Cup games. I believe most are encouraged by the way the U.S. played and the excitement that team unleashed in this country. And pretty soon they’ll get to see some of the stars of the World Cup team playing in MLS stadiums.

Clint Dempsey began his professional career in MLS, moved to the English Premier League (2007-13) and came home last summer to play for the Seattle Sounders. One of his Seattle teammates is DeAndre Yedlin, an exciting 20-year-old defender who played extremely well in Tuesday’s game against Belgium.

United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann from Germany arrives for the draw ceremony for the 2014 soccer World Cup in Costa do Sauipe near Salvador, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 6, 2013.

Colorado Rapids defenders Chris Klute and Shane O’Neill took their first step toward earning a USMNT roster spot at the 2014 World Cup on Friday, as head coach Jurgen Klinsmann called the duo into the national team’s January training camp.

The camp takes place in both Carson, Calif., and Sao Paulo, Brazil from Jan. 6 to Feb. 1, culminating with a match against Korea Republic on Feb. 1 at the StubHub Center in Carson.

Klute said in a tweet on Friday he was “honored” to be called into the camp. The call-up is a first for the 23-year-old left-sided back, who came to the Rapids on loan from Atlanta Silverbacks of the NASL.

Honored to be called up the USMNT training camp. Thank you all for your support. Looking forward next the next several weeks.

The U.S. men’s soccer team qualified for the 2014 World Cup Tuesday night with a convincing 2-0 win over staggering Mexico, coupled with Panama’s 2-2 draw at Honduras.

Panama’s Gabriel Torres celebrates after scoring against Honduras on Tuesday. (The Associated Press)

Eddie Johnson scored on a great header off a corner kick and Landon Donovan added an insurance goal. I was struck not only by the fervor of the fans in Columbus but also all the friends I knew were watching the game via their Facebook updates. To me it was just another sign that soccer has arrived as a major sport in the U.S.

While the Rapids continue to patiently wait for the arrival of heralded young striker Charles Eloundou from Cameroon, the club is now preparing to reach him directly.

Colorado technical director Paul Bravo will travel to Cameroon in early July to speak with Eloundou, trying to slip past what seems to be corrupt situation.

“Paul is going out to watch him in his next match,” Rapids president Tim Hinchey said.

“We’re gonna be patient with him and we’re not going to give up,” Hinchey added. “It’s a permanent deal now. It’s not a loan. When MLS finally gets FIFA and those governing bodies to fix the corruptness of that area, he’s gonna be ours.”

Rapids technical director Paul Bravo said Thursday that the issue is now in the hands of U.S. Soccer. He said the USSF is now actively pursuing an international transfer certificate from the Cameroon football association.

MLS signed Eloudou to a contract in December, right after his 18th birthday. In January, the Rapids won a lottery for the right to add him to their roster, beating out two other MLS teams.

But the Rapids remain interested. And Bravo is not concerned about Eloundou getting shut out after the MLS transfer window closes.

“The thing with his situation, FIFA can rule even after the window closes, based on the case file (we prepared),” Bravo said.

The Rapids, according to Bravo, can add Eloundou to their roster even after the window closes, so long as FIFA makes a written exception. That exception is dependent on MLS first getting an ITC from Cameroon, which FIFA might also have to rule on.

But the Rapids and MLS have compiled all available evidence regarding the contract and Eloudou’s discovery and given it to FIFA.

“I think the case file was dropped by B-10 bomber on FIFA’s office in Switzerland,” Bravo joked. “We needed a plane that big to carry all the files.”

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The Charles Eloundou Situation (and yes, I’m capitalizing the S in Situation on purpose because it’s now worthy of a semi-formal title) is a uniquely soccer story.

International transfers, even when they go as planned, can be a giant hassle. It’s one reason why Shane O’Neill is so valuable to the Rapids — his Irish passport would make a European transfer or loan very easy to negotiate.

But for Eloundou, it’s meant months of mystery and frustration. Nearly five months after MLS signed him, Eloundou still hasn’t set foot in Colorado.